Macedonian Opposition

Skopje Jun 19, 2000

Between Wishes and Possibilities

Macedonian opposition wants it ALL and NOW, but it does not seem to know HOW and with WHAT

AIM Skopje, 14.06.2000 AIM Skopje, 14 June, 2000

In the presence of almost 100 thousand citizens (according to the boldest estimates), a promotion rally of united opposition was held on 18 May in Skopje. The organisers were the strongest opposition party – Social Democratic League, the Liberal Democratic Party and the recently founded Democratic League. With this rally, the opposition started its long announced campaign for overturning the current regime. Leader of the Social Democratic League Branko Crvenkovski announced then that at the end of a series of rallies a demand would be issued to the assembly to cast a vote of confidence to the government of Ljubco Georgijevski. As of 25 May in Prilep, the opposition is organising rallies every day in one of the towns of Macedonia.

At the rally in Skopje a declaration was read by which the united opposition demands that the government resign, that the assembly be resolved and new parliamentary elections scheduled. Establishment of the government of national unity is demanded, which will prepare the election laws and create conditions for fair and democratic elections. Signatories of the declaration appeal on the citizens to unite in preservation of Macedonia as a democratic country and joint home of all its citizens. Reading of this declaration in various towns in Macedonia is cheered by chanting with ritual whistling every time the current ruling coalition is mentioned.

Many analysts of political developments in the country noticed that the rallies are passing without great pomp in the media, even the media inclined towards the opposition are not paying much attention to them, nothing to say about the pro-regime ones. This is the first shortcoming of the spring awakening of the opposition; the first but not the only one.

Analysts reproach the Social Democratic League as the main organiser of all this oppositionist commotion several things: first of all, that leader of Social Democratic League Branko Crvenkovski and his party comrades set out in resolute political activities without having previously completed “spring cleaning” in their own ranks. The carefully prepared party convention more than a month ago brought no personnel freshening up although in the past 18 months this party has (rightfully) lost both in parliamentary elections and in presidential elections (with some political filthiness typical of the Balkans). Second, Crvenkovski has gathered a variegated company of people discontented with the regime and discontented in general for various reasons – unfulfilled ambitions, the justly wrathful, careerists - in short, a team was gathered which is not promising. Third, Social Democratic League has not found a way to bring under its umbrella its former coalition partner from the Albanian political block, Party of Democratic Prosperity. This opposition party which is after its internal party “perestroika” waiting for “a good wind” (while sliding very slowly into radicalism) would welcome a well formulated offer. However, Crvenkovski did not make such an offer.

And last and perhaps the most important: at rallies the leader of Social Democratic League is using a comparatively harsh anti-Western vocabulary and an abundance of allusions which were recognised by many as an explicitly anti-Albanian stand. For instance, at last week's rally in Ohrid, in his comment about the congratulation note sent by US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to prime minister Georgijevski on the occasion of the recent visit to Kosovo, Crvenkovski said word for word: “Albright congratulates Georgijevski on his visit to Pristina! Washington and Brussels congratulated Georgijevski on having received 360 thousand refugees from Kosovo! They congratulated him on the way he resolved the linguistic controversy with Bulgaria! Rest assured, they will also congratulate him if he renounces the name in order to resolve the controversy with Greece! They will congratulate him if he amends the Constitution and gratifies the needs of his coalition partner (the allusion refers to the intention to pass the law on university education which would recognise the right of the Albanians to study in their mother tongue – note by the author). What shall we do in the end with so many congratulation notes and no state?!”

Crvenkovski's words received a thunderous applause. With such “philippics”, the leader of the strongest opposition party in the country obviously will not win the sympathy of Western diplomats in Skopje, especially because the good international reputation Social Democratic League retained after it had lost power thanks to the then president of the Republic Kiro Gligorov was badly shaken in presidential elections last autumn; at the time, almost without exception, western media qualified Social Democratic League as an anti-Western and anti-Albanian party, and a successor of the League of Communists. Reservations of Western observers in the capital of Macedonia could be intensified by the just completed visit of the mayor of Skopje who is also the leader of Liberal Democrats, Risto Penov, to Beijing. As the spokesman of the opposition, Penov promised there that with his political allies, as soon as they came to power, they would annul the effects of the “Taiwan adventure” that the ruling coalition was responsible for, and establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China.

Recent journey of the prime minister to the debate “Kosovo and Neighbours – Together in the Future” organised in Pristina caused anger of the opposition. A significant contribution was given to this gathering by civilian administrator Bernard Kouchner and commander of KFOR Juan Ortuno. Whether intentionally or not, this made the opposition the “advocate” of Belgrade.

It may sound as a paradox but the opposition has recently stricken a few serious blows at the regime, not with its rallies but thanks to the media which are inclined towards it. And it should be said that almost all the media are inclined towards it except those which are directly controlled by the party in power. In short, the episode with kidnapping of four border guards by anonymous perpetrators in the beginning of April at the border with Kosovo played right into the hands of the opposition. This event happened just two months after the murder of three policemen in the village of Aracinovo near Skopje the perpetrators of which have never been found by the police. If a few terrorist acts were added to this which have not been clarified – this was a good enough reason for the media to accuse the regime of impotence in the domain where it is obviously the weakest – national security. The picture is certainly further darkened by crime which is expanding and which is quite obvious.

When economic results are concerned, it is not roses all the way for the government coalition either: its officials claim that time has come to pay some unpaid bills, while the opposition is persuading the public that the problem is in ignorance, corruption, criminalisation of the persons in power

The opposition wants it ALL and NOW. However, independent analysts believe that for the moment it is not clear how the change they wish so badly should be brought about. They find arguments, along with all the given political reasons in the bad timing of the activities. Indeed, the opposition woke up too late! The present round of rallies will end in the end of the month when the question of confidence in the cabinet of Georgijevski will be raised in the parliament. One need not be a prophet to conclude that thanks to the majority in the parliament, the Coalition for Changes which is in power at the moment will not allow it. On the other hand, the energy stirred up among the people by Crvenkovski and comrades at the rallies could die down in the coming tropical heat, vacations and already traditional summer apathy. Local elections are planned for autumn. Had the elections been held today, the opposition could have counted on certain advantage. All polls, most of which were done by the opposition point out that Georgijevski is not doing very well. But until autumn there is plenty of time. And even more until parliamentary elections – two and a half long years.

AIM Skopje

ZELJKO BAJIC